Feed board attachment for flat work ironing machines



June 4;, 19350 A. J. RANDLETT 2,603,902

FEED BOARD ATTACHMENT FOR FLAT WORK IRONING MACHINES Filed June 4, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet l awn/H E. Jflazzdleff'.

31mm 119350 A RANDLETT 2,@3,92

FEED BOARD ATTACHMENT FOR FLAT WORK IRONING MACHINES Patented June 4, 1935 PATENT OFFICE FEED BOARD ATTACHMENT FOR FLAT WORK IRONING MACHINES Albert J. Randlett, Richmond, Va. Application June 4, 1934, Serial No. 729,004

Claims. (01. 68-9) This invention relates to ironing machines and more particularly to mechanism for feeding fiat work to the pressing rolls thereof.

Heretofore, in the operation of flat work iron- 5 ing machines, considerable difi'iculty has been experienced in feeding the work evenly and uniformly to the pressing rolls owing to slippage and uneven travel of the feed belts or ribbons which have a tendency to twist or distort the work on the feed board and often results in the formation of undesirable creases or wrinkles in the goods during the ironing operation and causes the goods to present a very unsatisfactory appearance. Moreover, this slippage and uneven travel of the feed belts causes excessive friction and wear thereon and fraying of the edges thereof so that the effective life ofs the belts is materially shortened and frequent renewals of the belts rendered necessary.

The primary object of the invention is to overcome these objectionable features and to provide a feed board of simple and durable construction capable of being readily attached toany type of flat work ironing machine and by means of which the work will be evenly and uniformly fed to the pressing rolls so that the finished work will be free from creases or wrinkles and a smoother and much better grade of work provided for delivery to the customers I than heretofore.

A further object of the invention is to provide a feed board having a series of independent rollers mounted for rotation at the delivery side thereof and around which the feed belts or ribbons are trained so as 3: reduce friction and wear on the feed board as well as on the belts and, consequently, prolong the effective life of said belts.

A further object is to provide a flat work feeding attachment including a, roller-carrying shaft having a plurality of upstanding fingers mounted thereon which guide or direct the flat work from the feed belts to the pressing rolls and also serve to space the rollers and form supports for the intermediate portion of said shaft.

A still further object is generally to improve this class of devices so as to increase their utility, durability and emciency.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification and in which similar numerals' of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views of the drawings,

Figure 1 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view of a feed board attachment embodying the present invention.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of Figure 1, parts being broken, away.

Figure 3 is an enlarged vertical sectional view of the feed board, rollers and guide fingers detached. 5

Figure 4 is a top plan view of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a detail perspective'view showing the manner of securing the supporting brackets for the roller supporting shaft to the feed board.

Figure 6 is a top plan view showing the con- 10 struction of the guide fingers when applied to a feed board not having a metal strip thereon.

Figure 7 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 1-1 of Figure 6. s

Figure 8 is a transverse sectional view taken 15 on the line 88 of Figure 5.

The feed board comprises a flat horizontally disposed beam l0 which is to be arranged in front of the pressing rolls of an ironing machine. The beam has its upper and lower surm faces, for a portion of the width of the beam, covered by a metal strip H which also extends over the forward edge of the beam, as shown, and may be secured thereto in.any suitable manner, as by screws or similar fastening de- 25 vices I2. The opposite ends of the beam II! are formed with slots l3 which receive guide pins [4 carried by the frame 5 of the ironing machine, and arranged at the rear of the board is an adjusting screw M by means of which an the feed board may be adjusted toward and away from the pressing rolls. Secured to the opposite ends of the feed board 10 are supporting brackets I5 having attaching flanges !6 preferably formed integral therewith and ex- 35 tending beneath the metal strip II for attachment to the board by screws I! or in any other suitable manner. The free ends of the bracket project longitudinally beyond the curved edge I8 of the feed board and are provided with so openings through which extend the threaded ends [9 of a rod or shaft 20 and engaging the threads on said rod are clamping nuts 2| which bear against the opposite sides of the brackets l5 for securely holding the rod in position on the feed board. Mounted for rotation on the rod or shaft 20 are a plurality of short cylinders 2|, preferably formed of hardwood and which constitute rollers for the endless feed belts or ribbons 22, the rear end portions of the belts or ribbons being engaged about a shaft 23 at the front of the ironing machine, as best shown in Figure 2 of the drawings and the lower flight of the belt engages a roller 32.

Interposed between the rollers are guide 1121- 66 gers 24, preferably formed from stainless metal, and these fingers are each provided with an opening through which the rod 20 extends. The lower edges of the fingers, at the forward ends thereof, are inclined downwardly and rearwardly, as indicated at 26, and their upper edges extend horizontally in the plane of the upper faces of the sheath II and beam Ill so that the fingers may direct and guide the flat work to pressing rolls of an ironing machine when the machine is in operation. When the feed board is provided with the metal strip H, the fingers 24 are retained in position on the feed board by cutting verticalkerfs or slots 28 in the curved forward edge l8 of the feed board and fitting the rear ends of the fingers therein. Each of the fingers is welded or otherwise permanently secured to the metal II, as indicated at 29 in Figure 4 of the drawings. It will here be noted that the fingers 24 not only serve to guide and positively direct the fiat work between the pressing rolls but also serve to space the rollers 2| and form intermediate supports for the rollercarrying rod 20. When the attachment is used on a feed board, having no metal strip thereon, guide fingers of the construction shown in Figure 6, are preferably employed. Each finger is provided with a laterally extending attaching lug 30 which is countersunk in the upper surface of the feed board and detachably secured thereto by screws orsimilar fastening devices 3|, it being, of course, understood that the kerfs 28 will also be formed in the forward edge of the board to accommodate the rear ends of the guide fingers when using this type of finger.

In operation, the flat work is placed on the belts or ribbons 22 and inasmuch as the travel of the belts is uniform, said work will be fed in a straight even manner to the pressing rolls of the ironing machine and, consequently, the formation of creases and wrinkles in the work will be effectually obviated and a much better grade of work provided for delivery to the customers than heretofore. Furthermore, the rollers 20 reduce friction and wear on the feed board as well as on the belts and, consequently, prolong the effective life of said belts so that renewal of the belts at frequent intervals is rendered unnecessary.

It will, of course, be understood that the roller-carrying shaft 20 and its associated parts may be made in different lengths to accommodate difierent widths of ironing machines and that there will be a roller for each individual guide belt or ribbon. It will thus be seen that there is provided a comparatively simple, inexpensive and thoroughly efiicient attachment by means of which a far superior grade of work may be produced than heretofore.

Having thus described the invention, I claim:

1. In a feeding apparatus for an ironing machine, a feed board, an elongated supporting means disposed substantially parallel to the front edge of the feed board in spaced relation thereto, ribbons trained about the board and supporting means, brackets securing opposite ends of the supporting means to the feed board and having attaching flanges overlapping the feed board and secured against the upper face thereof, a sheathing strip engaged about the 'forward edge portion of said feed board and overlying the flanges of said brackets, and ribbon guiding fingers securedto the feed board and projecting forwardly therefrom between the ribbons and engaging the supporting means to brace the same.

2. In a feeding apparatus for an ironing ma- I jecting forwardly from the front edge of said board with their rear portions seated in the kerfs and firmly secured therein with their upper edges substantially flush with the upper face of the board, said fingers engaging said rod in spaced relation to each other longitudinally thereof to brace the rod, and ribbons trained about the board and rod between the fingers.

3. In a feeding apparatus for an ironing machine, a feed board, a rod supported forwardly of the front edge of the board in spaced substantially parallel relation thereto, the board being formed with kerfs leading from its front edge in spaced relation to each other longitudinally thereof, fingers projecting forwardly from the front edge of said board and having their rear portions fitted into the kerfs and provided with wings at their upper edges projecting transversely therefrom and secured upon the board in countersunk position with their upper faces substantially flush with the upper face of the board, the portions of the fingers projecting from the front edge of the board having openings through which the rod extends and serving as braces for the rod, and ribbons trained about the board and rod between the fingers.

4. In a feeding apparatus for an ironing machine a-feed board, a rod supported forwardly of the front edge of the board in spaced relation thereto, a sheathing strip engaged about the forward portion of the board, kerfs being formed through the sheathing and forward portion of the board in spaced relation to each other longitudinally of the front edge of the board, fingers projecting forwardly from the front of the board and having their rear portions seated in the kerfs and firmly secured to the sheathing with their upper edges substantially fiush with the upper face of the board, said fingers engaging said rod to brace the same, and ribbons trained about the board and rod between the fingers.

5. In a feeding apparatus for an ironing machine, a feed board, a rod extending longitudinally of the front edge of said board and supported in spaced substantially parallel relation thereto, the board being formed with kerfs leading from its front edge in spaced relation to each other longitudinally thereof, fingers projecting forwardly from the front edge of the board with their rear portions seated in the kerfs and firmly secured therein with their upper edges substantially flush with the upper face of the board, portions of the fingers projecting from the board being formed with passages through which the rod extends and serving to brace the rod, rollers upon the rod between the fingers, and ribbons trained about the board and rollers between the fingers.

ALBERT J. RANDLE'I'I. 

